


A Last Stand

by CityEscape4



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Can be seen as romantic or platonic, Gen, M/M, relocated from tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 02:58:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15451866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityEscape4/pseuds/CityEscape4
Summary: AU where instead of walking out of his ruins after his last duel with Vector in his past life, Nasch follows the ginger deeper into the ruins, only to be met with more tragedy.





	A Last Stand

**Author's Note:**

> Written as an ask for a “Don’t Die on Me. Please” prompt between Ryoga and Durbe. Arguably Tomoshipping.

Nasch had never hated someone more than Vector. First he attacked his kingdom unwarranted, then Merag died because of him, Iris had lost her family because of him, and now the two of them were dueling with these stone slabs in what Vector called a Shadow Game, with each of their armies on the line. Nasch had never partaken in a Shadow Game before, and from what he was currently seeing, these things were not to be taken lightly at all. Vector had to have used some sort magic because the ground below them both was gone, and Nasch was actually seeing what was happening outside below his feet.

“We shall save the king!” He had seen Durbe say, leading his men into battle with Vector’s army. “All troops, advance!”

“It can’t be…” Nasch said in disbelief. “An all-out war has begun?!”

“Didn't I tell you,” Vector said, causing Nasch to look up from the ongoing battle being shown to him. “That this was a Shadow Game~?” The ginger gave a half-crazed grin. “Right now Nasch, we two are _gods!_ And our duel will decide their fate!”

Nasch’s breath caught in his throat. Vector had to have been lying, right…?

“And to think…” Vector continued, pointing an accusing finger at Nasch. “The one who pulled the trigger on this was _you.”_

With that, Nasch’s monsters clashed with each other, destroying the one of his own that Vector was currently controlling. Vector was visibly weakening as his life points went down, but he still had that goddamned smirk on his face. “This pain I feel now… It comes nowhere close to the pain you feel in your heart!”

“You bastard!” Nasch screamed, hands curling into fists. “Why drag innocent people into our fight?!”

“Ain’t that obvious?” Vector asked. “Because that’s your weakness, of course. All that kindness and justice dwelling in your heart, I mean.” Vector’s grin only grew to borderline insane. “And there’s nothing more that I want than to see you bowing your head as you writhe in agony!” He then threw his head back and cackled, fucking cackled at the sight before him, as Nasch’s entire body trembled with anger and rage, as warriors from both sides lost their lives.

“Vector!” Nasch’s bellowed anger rang through the ruins they were in, and Vector only laughed harder. “I’ll kill you with my bare hands!”

–

In the end, Nasch had managed to win the duel, barely scraping by with 300 life points left. The dirt and dust had kicked up as a result of Abyss Splash’s attack, and Vector’s last words in the duel rang clear in his head. ‘The fate you bear will be burned forever into your eyes!’

As the debris settled, Nasch nearly collapsed in exhaustion, looking over to where Vector had stood. The ginger was no longer there, but Nasch knew better than to consider him dead. He was retreating, wounded from their duel.

Nasch looked behind him, up to the top of the stairs he had descended from, torn between going out to support whatever of his army was left, and chasing after the wounded Vector.

He took a step towards the stairs, before shaking his head. No. Vector was badly wounded. If he turned his back on the deranged ginger now, wouldn’t all those lives wasted had been in vain? The king could feel hot tears well up in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but feel like no matter what choice he made, he’d be desecrating the lives lost today. Chase after Vector and abandon those who still needed him? Or let Vector go to assess the damage caused first hand?

In another life, in another time… Nasch would have let Vector go to face what remained outside the ruin’s walls. But not today. He turned on his heel, and ran after Vector, screaming the other’s name in anger as he gripped the handle of his sword, intent on dealing the motherfucker a final blow.

It wasn’t long before Nasch confronted Vector in what he presumed was the center of the ruins, a large open roof, circle terrarium. He and Vector’s swords clashed, the ginger holding his own rather well for someone who had decided to retreat just moments earlier. The two fought on, before Nasch found himself disarmed, his blade cracking slightly as both he and the weapon fell to the ground.

Nasch tensed, feeling the cold steel of Vector’s blade against his neck. He knew he was trapped. It was either die facing Vector like this, or attempt to reach for his own blade and allow Vector to kill him while he was on his hands and knees and his back was turned… No. He wasn’t going to turn his back and hide like a coward. _Durbe_ … Nasch thought to himself as his cold blue eyes glared into malefic violet. _Merag… Forgive me._

Vector’s laughter made Nasch’s blood run dry. “Say hello to Merag for me, Nasch!” Nasch watched as Vector’s arm rose, closing his eyes out of instinct, bracing himself for the impact of Vector’s sword…

But it never came.

What did come however, was the sound of a horse whinnying, soon followed by the sound of metal hitting the earth and swords clashing. Nasch opened his eyes, a small, inaudible gasp escaping him as Durbe stood before him, blocking Vector’s sword with his own. “D-Durbe…” He was alive…!

The knight’s armor was dirty and scuffed, a few cuts on his face, one particularly bad looking gash having sliced through the silver-haired male’s left cheek.

“Get on Mach!” Durbe yelled out to Nasch, not taking his eyes off of Vector as the two stood locked in place, swords pushing against each other. “Go and get out of here!”

Nasch seethed slightly as he pulled himself up, his lip curled in anger. “Like _hell.”_ Grabbing his sword from the ground, Nasch gripped it tightly, rage in his eyes as he glared at Vector. Adrenaline began to mix with the anger, clouding his judgement as he began to charge and Vector. It seemed so simple in that moment: Slay the fucking bastard while he was occupied in fending off Durbe.

Vector however, was quick on his feet, and with a strong push of force, shoved Durbe back, causing the knight to stumble and fall back. In that moment, Vector turned on his heel and met Nasch’s sword with his own, the steel meeting Nasch’s own with a force that took advantage of the crack that formed in Nasch’s blade moments earlier, Nasch’s blade proceeding to crack further and break.

Grinning darkly, violet penetrated shocked blue. “Like I said before, say hello to Merag for me.” With that, Vector’s sword plunged, aiming straight for the young king.

The next couple of seconds were a blur to Nasch. There was a cry of _No!_ , Durbe was suddenly in front of him again, the knight’s back to the purple haired male, and there was the gut wrenching sound of steel piercing armor and slicing through flesh. And just as everything seemed to move in fast forward, it was just as quick to seem to freeze. Neither Durbe nor Vector moved from their spots, and the resulting silence seemed almost fragile. It was the sound of something dripping that shattered the silence and brought Nasch out of his stupor. Blood was dripping from both Vector and Durbe.

From his position behind Durbe, Nasch could see the knight’s sword rammed into the tyrant’s shoulder. He expected the ginger’s expression to be pained, but it seemed almost the opposite.

Vector was _grinning._

Nasch looked to Durbe then, only to notice something poking out of the back of the silver-haired male’s armor.

The tip of Vector’s blade.

Nasch was only able to register it for a moment before Vector -somewhat strainedly- pulled his blade from Durbe’s stomach, and Durbe stifled a pained noise, before he fell to a knee, then the ground. Vector pulled Durbe’s sword from his arm, seething in pain as he did so, and tossed it by Nasch.

“What’s it going to be, Nasch?” Vector asked as he began to back away. “Come after me and leave him to die? Or save your loyal mutt and watch me get away yet again?” With that, Vector cackled and turned, leaving the terrarium as he held his wounded shoulder.

Nasch growled lowly as Vector ran off, part of him internally screaming to run after the bleeding ginger. Instead, he knelt down to Durbe, who had been struggling to slowly move himself, and began to peel off his armor.

“N-Nasch?” Durbe asked confusedly, seething as Nasch moved him. “W-Wha…? W-Why aren’t you going after Vector? He’s getting away…!”

Nasch shook his head, getting the pierced chest plate off of Durbe’s torso. “Going after Vector isn’t worth leaving you here like this.”

“But—“

“No, Durbe.” Blue eyes glared at the fallen knight with a look of finality, and Durbe didn’t oppose Nasch any further, knowing the young king’s mind was made up. “And don’t you dare try to pass off that you’re fine.” Nasch grimaced at the sight of Durbe’s wound, and began to unhook the blue cape that he had been wearing.

The only warning Durbe got was a half-muttered _‘Brace yourself’,_ before Nasch wrapped his cape around Durbe’s upper chest and tightened it, Durbe yelping in pain as Nasch attempted to staunch the bloodflow. Mach whinnied in worry, and Nasch had to calm him down, knowing the mythic creature was just as worried about Durbe as he was, if not more so. Regardless, the Pegasus stayed close by, looking on at the two before him almost sadly. Nasch’s cape was quick to stain with Durbe’s blood, the blue melding with his bleeding red into an ominously dark shade of purple now, and Durbe tried to regulate his breathing, knowing he didn’t have very many breaths left in him to take. Not with a wound of this caliber.

Nasch looked over Durbe, trying to think of what else to do, when he noticed the knight’s eyes starting to close. “No, nononono…” Nasch moved, Durbe’s head now resting in his lap as a hand went to pat the the knight’s face. “Stay awake, alright? Keep your eyes open and… Don’t… Don’t die.” Nasch didn’t realize his voice was quivering until the words were already out of his mouth. The grim reality of it all was beginning to finally set in, and he could feel his eyes water. “Don’t die on me… _Please.”_ The young king practically begged.

Durbe’s eyes opened slightly, a weak smile on his face. “I wouldn’t dare to, my friend. Not willingly.”

In an attempt to hide his watering eyes, the young king hung his head. “That’s an order, you hear me?!” He barked, hands trembling as he moved Durbe, the knight now in his arms. “As king, as _your_ king, I order you to not… to not die!”

Nasch’s tears fell one by one onto Durbe, who’s vision was beginning to darken and fade, and the knight’s heart sunk. Nasch had never ordered him to do anything before, because there was never any need to. Durbe would have followed Nasch’s every word before he’d even said anything. Now the one time he was told to do something… he wouldn’t be able to follow through.

“Just hang on a little longer. We’ll take Mach back to the kingdom. The healers, they’ll patch you up, alright? I’ll make sure of it.” A weak laugh escaped Nasch. “I’m willingly going to ride on Mach. That’s something, huh?”

Durbe couldn’t help but faintly smile at that, a sound akin to a weak laugh escaping him before his expression contorted into pain as he struggled to take a proper breath, his hands balling into fists. Mach nickered softly and was quick to make his way to the knight, a hoof stamping at the ground as he gently nudged his snout against the side of his rider’s head. “Mach.” Durbe said, a hand weakly rose to stroke the side of Mach's muzzle. “Thank you for staying by my side all this time.”

Nasch looked to his closest friend, fear and sorrow hidden beneath the anger his blue eyes held. “Don’t start saying your goodbyes, you hear me? I can’t… I can’t lose anyone else.”

Durbe’s head was leaning against Nasch’s armor now, a shiver going through him as he began to feel cold, his eyes looking out without actually focusing on anything. “I’m thankful I met you. Both you and Merag.”

“Durbe, stop.” Nasch shook his head, holding the knight close, as if he could somehow will life back into the dying male that way. “Please, don’t die on me.”

Mach nickered once more, laying down opposite of Nasch, encircling the two boys with his wings. Even he knew that Durbe’s time was almost up.

“Along with Mach, you and Merag meant the world to me… I’m so… sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” Nasch commanded, his head resting atop Durbe’s. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Durbe was silent, causing Nasch’s blood to run cold. Fighting the uneasiness that was settling in his stomach, Nasch looked down at the fallen knight, and for a moment, felt almost reassured, seeing that Durbe’s eyes were still open. But the devastating feeling in his gut only rose as Durbe’s body just seemed to slump in his hold, and Mach let out a strange noise, almost like the horse itself was crying. Blue eyes widened in fear, and Nasch shook Durbe lightly, freezing as he actually looked in Durbe’s eyes.

There was nothing. No life. They were just… _empty._

–

Vector had barely made it out of the ruins when he heard Nasch’s yell of pained anguish ring throughout the building. A crazed smile came to the deranged ginger, glee coursing through his veins.

No more Merag.

No more army.

And now no more Durbe.

Nasch was all alone now. Just as Vector wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> why am i like this


End file.
